Strip handling apparatus

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for handling a strip of material such as for film processing. The apparatus has at least one rotatable roller below the level of a liquid in a tank and over which the strip of material is to be passed. Means are provided for directing into the wedge-shaped opening formed between the surface of the roller and the incoming strip of material jets of liquid which are distributed along the roller.

United States Patent Inventors Joseph Beeheiraz Marly Le Petit;

Ulrich Frauchiger, Winterthur, both of,

Switzerland 729,058

May 14, 1968 July 20, 1971 Ciba Limited Basel, Switzerland May 16, 1967 Switzerland 6,901/67 Appl. No. Filed Patented Assignee Priority STRIP HANDLING APPARATUS 6 Claims, 2 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl

Int. Cl Field of Search References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1/ 1949 Luboshez 8/1969 Knibiehly 3,023,686 3/1962 Meyer 95/94 3,311,039 3/1967 Lucas 95/94 3,357,337 12/1967 Land et al 95/94 3,382,790 5/1968 Matheson.... 95/94 3,405,627 10/1968 Day et a1 95/94 3,405,683 10/1968 Jons et a] 95/89 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,040,342 8/1966 Great Britain 95/94 1,128,292 4/1962 Germany 95/94 Primary Examiner.lohn M. Horan Assistant Examiner-Alan Mathews Attorney-Wenderoth, Lind and Ponack ABSTRACT: An apparatus for handling a strip of material such as for film processing. The apparatus has at least one rotatable roller below the level of a liquid in a tank and over which the strip of material is to be passed. Means are provided for directing into the wedge-shaped opening formed between the surface of the roller and the incoming strip of material jets of liquid which are distributed along the roller.

PATENTED JUL20 m1 SHEET 1 OF 2 FIG] ATTORNEYS PATENTEDJUL20I97I SHEET 2 OF 2 INVENTORS JOSEPH BECHEIRAZ ULRICH FRAUCHIGER ATTORNEYS STRIP HANDLING APPARATUS This invention relates to strip handling apparatus having at least one rotatable roller which is arranged in a tank for liquid below the level of liquid and over which strip material is arranged to travel.

In apparatus such as that used for film processing, the rol- Iers are either freely rotatable,in which case the strip material is pulled over or around the rollers by means of a transport device, or the rollers are motor driven.

In some previous apparatus of this type, the film is in direct contact with the rollers during its travel through the apparatus. This often damages the strip material, particularly its surface. The use of special roller surfaces, particularly soft surfaces, does not, always provide an effective remedy.

It has therefore been proposed to produce a gas or liquid cushion between fixed return or guide elements and the strip material. Fixed elements having pressure jet apertures have been used but it has been found that it is very difficult to obtain a stable operating state which reliably prevents contact between the surface of the element and the strip material.

It has now been found that this problem can be solved in a very simple manner by using a member having apertures from which jets of liquid emerge --into the wedge-shaped space between the surface of the roller and the incoming strip of material, the apertures being arranged to distribute the jets of liquid along the surface of the roller.

In accordance with the invention, therefore, we provide in a strip handling apparatus, a device having at least one rotatable roller which is arranged in a tank for liquid below the level of liquid and over which strip material is to be passed and means for directing into the wedgeshaped space formed between the I surface of the roller and the incoming web of material, jets of liquid which are distributed along the roller.

If fixed rollers are used the desired effect of forming a continuous liquid cushion cannot be achieved or can be achieved only to an insufficient extent. This is probably due to the fact that whereas the layer of liquid which normally rotates with a rotating roller is given impetus by the jets of liquid acting in the direction of rotation of the roller to such an extent that contact between the strip and the roller surface is avoided,

such a layer is not given sufficient impetus when the roller is fixed thereby making separation of the strip from the roller surface unreliable. In addition, a jet acting in the direction of rotation of the rollers produces a driving effect and also compensates for the resistance to movement of the strip material.

Two embodiments of the invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates apparatus for handling strip material, and

FIG. 2 illustrates an alternative form of apparatus to that shown in FIG. 1.

The apparatus illustrated are mounted in tanks which contain liquid, only the bottom B of the tank being shown together with the level of liquid N.

Rollers around which the strip is passed and indicated by the reference lu and the guide rollers over which the strip is passed and indicated by the reference If in FIG. 2 are freely rotatable. Parallel to each return roller la and to each guide roller If there is disposed at least-one distributor 3 having jet apertures 2 directed towards the surface of the rollers. The distributors are fed through pipes'8. The jet apertures 2 are so disposed in relation to the rollers and are directed generally peripherally of the roller la. The .axis 24 of each aperture is at an acute angle to a tangent! to. the surface of the rollers la and If at the point r. where the axis intersects the surfaces of the rollers. From this point the pressure jets S are directed The effect produced by the jets may be further enhanced by baffles 5 disposed adjacent the jets to provide narrow passageways between the baffles and the surfaces of the rollers.

The distance between the pressure jet apertures 2 and the roller surface amounts only to a fraction of the diameter of the roller, preferably about one-tenth thereof. With the usual,

dimensions employed for the rollers in film processing apparatus this distance is between about I and 10 mm.

The jet is preferably adjusted so that the peripheral speed of the rollers is higher than the speed at which the strip material is transported over the rollers.

The jet liquid can be selected so that chemical and/or physical treatment effects are simultaneously achieved on the strip material. In particular, the same liquid as is already contained in the tank (level N) is used.

As indicated in FIG. 1, the rollers may be mounted between two plates 6, of which only one (the rear plate) is visible in the drawing. These two plates are fastened to the bottom B of the tank.

The strip of material 4a4b is moved over the guide rollers l f and rollers In by means of a motor driven transport device. This transport device may, for example, comprise a pair of motor driven traction chains on which the strip of material is connected by clips or the like at one or more points. Such transport devices are generally known. In order not to impair generally peripherally along the. roller into the wedge-shaped v the clarity of the drawings, they have therefore not been illustrated in detail. In FIG. I a sprocket wheel 7 forming part of the transport device is shown, mounted on one end of the roller la and a similar sprocket wheel (not shown) is mounted at the other end. These two sprocket wheels and the roller lu are freely rotatable independently of one another. Of the other pairs of sprocket wheels (not illustrated) at least one is adapted to be driven by a motor.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, a number of freely rotatable rollers lf, lu are disposed in a row. The strip of material is passed around the lowermost roller lu and runs past both sides of the guide rollers If in opposite directions. At the roller If (guide roller) which is in the middle in the drawing, two rows of pressure jet apertures 2 are situated one on each side of the intermediate roller If approximately diametrically opposite one another and are coupled to a common distributor via pipes 8.

The liquid cushion consequently produced between the strip and the roller once again prevents any contact between strip and roller and improves the physical or chemical action of the liquid on the strip.

What we claim is:

1. In a strip handling apparatus, a device for the guiding of strip material which is kept out of contact with the device, said device comprising a tank adapted to contain liquid to a predetermined level therein, at least one freely rotatable roller positioned in said tank below said level of the liquid and over which strip material is to be passed, and a fluid distributor extending parallel to said roller having a plurality of apertures for forming jets of liquid, each of said apertures being directed in a direction generally peripherally of the roller and at an acute angle to a tangent to the surface of said roller at the point of intersection between the axis of the aperture and the surface of the roller, whereby the jets of liquid are directed generally peripherally along the roller into the wedge-shaped space formed between the surface of the roller and the strip material at an acute angle relative to the direction of movement of the strip material to prevent contact between the strip material and the roller and to cause the roller to rotate.

2. A device as claimed in claim I, in which the apertures of the distributor are spaced from the nearest point on the periphery of said roller a distance of about one-tenth the diameter of the roller. 3. A device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a baffle adjacent to said apertures and to the surface of said roller and spaced from said roller to define a narrow passageway between the baffle and the roller into which said jets of liquid are directed.

4. In a strip handling apparatus, a device for the guiding and turning of strip material which is kept out of contact with the device, said device comprising a tank adapted to contain liquid to a predetermined level therein, a row of freely rotatable rollers positioned in said tank below said level of the liquid, the strip material being passed around the end roller in the row and-passed along both sides of the row in opposite directions, fluid distributors in said row at least at one roller intermediate the other rollers and disposed parallel to said rollers diametrically opposite one another on either side of the intermediate roller, said distributors having a plurality of apertures for forming jets of liquid, said apertures being provided diametrically opposite one another on either side of the roller,

' each of said apertures being disposed in relation to the roller and directed in a direction generally peripherally of the roller and at an acute angle to a tangent to the surface of said roller at the point of intersection between the axis of the aperture and the surface of the roller, whereby the jets of liquid are directed generally peripherally along the roller into the ,wedge' shaped spaced formed between the surface of said roller and the strip material at an acute angle relative to the direction of movement of the strip material to prevent contact between the roller and the strip material and to cause the roller to rotate.

5. A device as claimed in claim 4, in which the rollers are caused by the jets of liquid to rotate at a peripheral speed in excess of the speed of movement of the strip material along said roller.

6. In a strip handling apparatus, a device for the guiding of strip material which is kept out of contact with the device, said device comprising a tank adapted to contain liquid to a predetermined level therein, a row of freelyrotatable rollers positioned in said tank below said level of the liquid, strip material being passed along both sides of therow in opposite directions, fluid distributors in said row at least at one roller intermediate the other rollers and disposed parallel to said rollers diametrically opposite one another on either side of the intermediate roller, said distributors having a plurality of apertures for forming jets of liquid, said apertures being provided diametrically opposite one another on either side of the roller, each of said apertures being disposed in relation to the roller and directed in a direction generally peripherally of the roller and at an acute angle to a tangent to the surface of said roller at the point of intersection between the axis of the aperture and the surface of the roller, whereby the jets of liquid are directed generally peripherally along the roller into the r wedge-shaped spaces formed between the surface of said roller and the strip material at an acute angle relative to the direction of movement of the strip material to prevent contact between the roller and the strip material and to cause the roller to rotate. 

1. In a strip handling apparatus, a device for the guiding of strip material which is kept out of contact with the device, said device comprising a tank adapted to contain liquid to a predetermined level therein, at least one freely rotatable roller positioned in said tank below said level of the liquid and over which strip material is to be passed, and a fluid distributor extending parallel to said roller having a plurality of apertures for forming jets of liquid, each of said apertures being directed in a direction generally peripherally of the roller and at an acute angle to a tangent to the surface of said roller at the point of intersection between the axis of the aperture and the surface of the roller, whereby the jets of liquid are directed generally peripherally along the roller into the wedge-shaped space formed between the surface of the roller and the strip material at an acute angle relative to the direction of movement of the strip material to prevent contact between the strip material and the roller and to cause the roller to rotate.
 2. A device as claimed in claim 1, in which the apertures of the distributor are spaced from the nearest point on the periphery of said roller a distance of about one-tenth the diameter of the roller.
 3. A device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a baffle adjacent to said apertures and to the surface of said roller and spaced from said roller to define a narrow passageway between the baffle and the roller into which said jets of liquid are directed.
 4. In a strip handling apparatus, a device for the guiding and turning of strip material which is kept out of contact with the device, said device comprising a tank adapted to contain liquid to a predetermined level therein, a row of freely rotatable rollers positioned in said tank below said level of the liquid, the strip material being passed around the end roller in the row and passed along both sides of the row in opposite directions, fluid distributors in said row at least at one roller intermediate the other rollers and disposed parallel to said rollers diametrically opposite one another on either side of the intermediate roller, said distributors having a plurality of apertures for forming jets of liquid, said apertures being provided diametrically opposite one another on either side of the roller, each of said apertures being disposed in relation to the roller and directed in a direction generally peripherally of the roller and at an acute angle to a tangent to the surface of said roller at the point of intersection between the axis of the aperture and the surface of the roller, whereby the jets of liquid are directed generally peripherally along the roller into the wedge-shaped spaced formed between the surface of said roller and the strip material at an acute angle relative to the direction of movement of the strip material to prevent contact between the roller and the strip material and to cause the roller to rotate.
 5. A device as claimed in claim 4, in which the rollers are caused by the jets of liquid to rotate at a peripheral speed in excess of the speed of movement of the strip material along said roller.
 6. In a strip handling apparatus, a device for the guiding of strip material which is kept out of contact with the device, said device comprising a tank adapted to contain liquid to a predetermined level therein, a row of freely rotatable rollers positioned in said tank below said level of the liquid, strip material being passed along both sides of the row in opposite directions, fluid distributors in said row at least at one roller intermediate the other rollers and disposed parallel to said rollers diametrically opposite one another on either side of the intermediate roller, said distributors having a plurality of apertures for forming jets of lIquid, said apertures being provided diametrically opposite one another on either side of the roller, each of said apertures being disposed in relation to the roller and directed in a direction generally peripherally of the roller and at an acute angle to a tangent to the surface of said roller at the point of intersection between the axis of the aperture and the surface of the roller, whereby the jets of liquid are directed generally peripherally along the roller into the wedge-shaped spaces formed between the surface of said roller and the strip material at an acute angle relative to the direction of movement of the strip material to prevent contact between the roller and the strip material and to cause the roller to rotate. 